Grey man? Waved through security thanks to Glock hat

The Italian Polizia at the Vatican entrance was having none of it.

The guy in front of us could walk back from where he came or drop the selfie stick in the bin but he was not walking past security with the popular telescopic device. 

Security at the Vatican was tight this past Sunday, as it usually is before the Pope speaks around 12:00. I was there in the queue behind “selfie stick guy” with my two kids, waiting to enter St. Peter’s Square. My Leatherman Charge and folder had stayed back home. My only knife consisted of the tiny blade in my Leatherman PS4 which replaced the Minichamp in my keychain for this specific trip. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to carry it with my carry-on on the flight to Rome. Rules say its fine if the blade is under 6cm.  I was carrying my North Face red messenger bag, wearing a gray tshirt, blue 5.11 taclite pants and my Glock Perfection khaki hat. Oh! We were also armed with some delicious gelato we had just bought. 

After selfie stick guy mourned his gadget left behind in the bin and kept on walking it was our turn.

“Buongiorno!” I said, with my best crappy Italian. The young polizia officer looked at me, his eyes went to my hat and he smiled back “Buongiorno!”. He pointed with his finger an asked how was my ice cream. I said it was great (it really was). I started to open the flap of my messenger bag but he waved us through so I kept waking with my youngest son. He stopped my oldest son and pointed to his backpack, but I turned and said “È mio figlio”, so he waved him through too. 

After that there was another queue for the metal detector. I sent my bag through the scanner and when I walked through the metal detector it went off. The guard looked at me, I again saw his eyes go to my Glock hat and while I started to remove my riggers belt which was obviously the reason why the metal detector was triggered the officer told me not to bother with the belt and just waved us through again.

Believe it or not this scene repeated itself time and again in museums, monuments and other security points across Rome during our visit. It happened so much my youngest son asked why police and guards “like me” so much. 

The only reason I can think of is positive profiling.  At least in Italy, I can say that police related to my gun nut hat in a very positive way.  A guy with two kids, wearing basically the same clothes I use for ISPC shooting, 5.11 pants, gray/black Salomon X-Ultra shoes, Riggers belt, Wiley X glasses and a big red North Face bag, just doesn’t fit the terrorist type. 

Does the same apply to police and security checkpoints everywhere? Probably not. But don’t be afraid to try things out and experiment some, you might be surprised. The Glock hat is somewhat tasteful and not so much “in your face”. It’s the kind of thing other gun people notice while 99% of the rest of the population probably wont.  Being friendly and smiling helps a lot too, no matter what you wear. 

 Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”